The Murder Capital: When I Have Fears review – a raw, rampaging debut
Dublin five-piece draws on post-punk from Joy Division to Idles, but their unsettling, thrilling energy is all their own - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarBon Iver: i,i review – complex and majestic
(Jagjaguwar) - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarMarika Hackman: Any Human Friend review – selfishness, sex and passion
With deadpan humour and rock-star confidence, Hackman essays her own restive, messy desires, from denial to acceptance - Aimee Cliff
starstarstarstarstarBanks: III review – her best album yet
(Harvest) - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarPurple Mountains: Purple Mountains review – sardonic Americana with the lyrics of the year
(Drag City)Life has tested David Berman, and he translates it into songs of mordant wit on this fantastic collaboration with Woods - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarJohn Luther Adams: Become Desert review – a unique voice turns to the sands
Inspired by the desert landscapes of his new Mexico home, the Pulitzer prize-winner takes us on an journey from the joyous to the apocalyptic - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarFreddie Gibbs & Madlib: Bandana review – unvarnished and utterly dazzling hip-hop
The rapper-producer duo follow up Piñata with another cinematic series of street stories delivered with lyrical majesty - Dean Van Nguyen
starstarstarstarstarBlanck Mass: Animated Violence Mild review – Power reins in the cacophony
(Sacred Bones) - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarBlanck Mass: Animated Violence Mild review – grief, rage and transcendent electronica
Mourning the death of the planet and a parent, Ben Power has made an album that fuses terror and rage with sheer beauty - Aimee Cliff
starstarstarstarstarThe Hold Steady: Thrashing Thru the Passion review – chancers and chasers in fist-punching glory
Craig Finn’s barstool-rock raconteurs paint a portrait of booze-soaked Americana with their most enthralling record in years - Al Horner
starstarstarstarstarFriendly Fires: Inflorescent review – deliciously cheesy 80s disco vibes
Harking back to the era of funkily optimistic pop may not speak to our times, but FF’s first album in eight years is truly joyous - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarŠirom: A Universe That Roasts Blossoms for a Horse review – pan-global steampunk faux folk
Three classically-trained musicians from Slovenia make meticulously plotted episodic music that sounds lopsided - John Lewis
starstarstarstarstarGoldschmidt: Beatrice Cenci review – grisly lost opera gets attention it deserves
The German composer’s opera about the daughter of a monstrous Italian patriarch is worth revisiting in this stylish production - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarSleater-Kinney: The Centre Won't Hold review – fighting death with sex
Drummer Janet Weiss has left the band since recording this St Vincent-produced album – but their songwriting suggests they can weather anything - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarMarika Hackman: Any Human Friend review – frank breakup album
(EMI) - Tara Joshi
starstarstarstarstarTubby Hayes Quartet: Grits, Beans and Greens review – intense and absorbing
(Fontana/Decca) - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarSlipknot: We Are Not Your Kind review – Iowan behemoths' most brutal, gentle album
Mixing their trademark raging riffola and tribal drumming with everything from krautrock to acoustic elements, Slipknot push their own limits - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarAmi Dang: Parted Plains review – intense sitar ambience on a raga tip
Dang’s self-assured album brings elements of unease to stillness, with keening melodies and multilayered sounds - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarThe Edge of Silence: Works for Voice by György Kurtág review – vivid, profound and totally compelling
Susan Narucki’s album of Kurtág’s music is committed, expressive and profound - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarKarine Polwart’s Scottish Songbook review – from Big Country to John Martyn
(Hegri) - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarTy Segall: First Taste review – fabulously full-on
(Drag City) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarTy Segall: First Taste review – rocking riddles from Californian polymath
Distorted vocals, funky, jerky guitars, walls of drumming and banks of harmonies dissolve into sad pianos (sometimes) on Segall’s fantastic 13th solo effort - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarClairo: Immunity review – songs from the battlefield of young love
The Pretty Girl singer’s debut album broadens her range beyond its lo-fi origins in an impressive take on emotion - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarTubby Hayes Quartet: Grits, Beans and Greens review – an ingenious melodicist rediscovered
He died in 1973 but British-born Hayes had astonishing fluidity and compositional skills that it is worth hearing - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarCobbett's Legacy: The New Cobbett Prize for Chamber Music review – back to the future
Recognising its impact on British music, the Ensemble has revived the prize and champions work by early winners including William Hurlstone - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarChance the Rapper: The Big Day review – a pop-rap marriage made in heaven
The Grammy-winning darling of the US rap scene finally releases his debut album: a candid, cutesy concept album based around his wedding - Al Horner
starstarstarstarstarBurna Boy: African Giant review – Caribbean swagger and Fela swing
(Atlantic) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarScott Hamilton Quartet: Danish Ballads… & More review – truly great tenor sax
(Stunt) - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarJenny Lewis review – darkly among the rhinestones
With her fourth album, Jenny Lewis’s moment has come – and she’s seizing it with country-pop hooks and disarming honesty - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarLaura Cannell & Polly Wright: Sing as the Crow Flies review – lost voices in folktales
The duo’s album is based on a 19th-century book of Norfolk customs and ballads, decorated with powerful improvised vocals - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarMelody Moore: An American Song Album review – distinctive calling card for an electric talent
The impressive soprano with mezzo vocal colours is in easy dialogue with pianist Bradley Moore for songs by US composers including Barber and Heggie - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarSpell Songs: The Lost Words review – a literary landscape brought to life
(Quercus) - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarIder: Emotional Education review – sassy take on the millennial experience
(Glassnote) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarLingua Ignota: Caligula review – extreme music reckoning with misogyny
Emphasising the rage and despair of survivors of abuse, Kristin Hayter uses a unique palette including metal, folk and noise - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarThe Flaming Lips: King's Mouth review – their most appealing album in years
After a long spell of indulging in 24-hour jams and Stone Roses covers, Wayne Coyne’s band marshal their psychedelic powers for lush, honed songs - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarAlan Barnes + Eleven: 60th Birthday Celebration review – happy returns all round
(Woodville) - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarAfrica Express: Egoli review – an end-to-end party album
(Africa Express) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarTiny Changes: A Celebration of The Midnight Organ Fight review – astounding tribute to a lost talent
Friends from Aaron Desner to Sarah Silverman cover songs from Frightened Rabbit’s 2008 album and prove Scott Hutchison’s enduring talent all over again - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarRomance: The Piano Music of Clara Schumann review – a boldly assertive celebration
Two centuries after her birth, this tribute to Schumann is a muscular argument for her music, which is influenced more by Chopin than her husband Robert - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarWillie Nelson: Ride Me Back Home review – upbeat and defiant
(Legacy) - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstar75 Dollar Bill: I Was Real review – placeless, gripping grooves
(tak:til/Thin Wrist) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarTrash Kit: Horizon review – anthems to open the mind and loosen the limbs
Cult sci-fi, grungy guitars and Zimbabwean thumb pianos all feature in the post-punk trio’s display of hard-won jubilance - Owen Myers
starstarstarstarstarWilliam Parker/In Order to Survive: ShapeShifter Live review – rattlingly rebellious avant-garde jazz
The quietly distinguished bassist steers his talented band through a dynamic fusion of classic and contemporary in this live set - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarThom Yorke: Anima review – instantly recognisable musical signatures
(XL) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarAndrew Oliver and David Horniblow: The Complete Morton Project – the joy of Jelly Roll
(LeJazzetal) - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarThe Black Keys: Let’s Rock review – rousing return makes good on its title
Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have remedied their blues via a no-nonsense album packed with crowdpleasing riffs - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstar75 Dollar Bill: I Was Real review – impossible to place, easy to enjoy
The instrumental duo have made a gloriously unorthodox album of blues inflected from all corners of the globe - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarHouse and Land: Across the Field review – a magical recasting of music history
Electronic experimentalism duels with classic banjo sounds for this ambient, affecting new twist on American folk music - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarKim Petras: Clarity review – light as bubblegum and hard as nails
The German singer takes the Britney blueprint and gives it an empowering punch in her latest dispatch from pop’s fringes - Aimee Cliff
starstarstarstarstarDausgaard/Appl/BBCSSO: Kullervo review – thrilling and intense account of Sibelius' epic
Thomas Dausgaard and the BBC Scottish Symphony conjure grand landscapes and a rousing plot with Helena Juntunen and Benjamin Appl the persuasive soloists - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarLuedji Luna: Um Corpo No Mundo review – sultry debut with a message
(Sterns) - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarGeorgia Anne Muldrow: Vweto II review – kaleidoscopic, sunshine timewarp jazz
A sprawling, funky blur of past musical references, through a 2050 filter, Muldrow is never done experimenting - Aimee Cliff
starstarstarstarstarMerz/Laraaji/Ismaily: Dreams of Sleep and Wakes of Sound review – a profound sonic battle
Laraaji’s blissful autoharp overcomes an industrial guitar-feedback dystopia provided by Merz on this filmic album - John Lewis
starstarstarstarstarHolliger/Kurtág: Zwiegespräche review – warmly austere birthday tribute
Composer and oboist Heinz Holliger and kindred spirit György Kurtág celebrate the former’s works with expressive, conversational rapport - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarFred Hersch & the WDR Big Band: Begin Again review – lyrical and terrifying
(Palmetto) - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarKate Tempest: The Book of Traps and Lessons review – personal and optimistic
(Fiction) - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarBill Callahan: Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest review – a sweet and sly return
(Drag City) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarBruce Springsteen: Western Stars review – quintessentially Boss
(Columbia Records) - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarSleater-Kinney: The Center Won’t Hold review – trying too hard?
(Mom + Pop) - Kate Hutchinson
starstarstarstarstarLeslie Stevens: Sinner review – potent ‘cosmic country’
(Thirty Tigers) - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarTrippie Redd: ! review – compelling but contradictory emo-rap
With conflicting messages and music, it seems as if Redd has sacrificed a clear artistic identity in favour of sending shockwaves through hip-hop - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarNérija: Blume – formidable jazz crew need to cut loose
(Domino) - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarClairo: Immunity review – a winning debut
(Fader) - Emily Mackay
starstarstarstarstarMabel: High Expectations review – something sassy this way comes
Eschewing her uber-cool heritage, Mabel serves up chart-friendly pop and R&B on her debut album - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarFrancis Lung: A Dream Is U review – plaintive introspection from buzz band man
Jangling, inward-looking lo-fi indie with Elliott Smith touches has potential but lacks his former band Wu Lyf’s originality - Hannah J Davies
starstarstarstarstarVolbeat: Rewind, Replay, Rebound review – chugging metal-meets-rockabilly
It may be their seventh album but on this evidence the eclectic Danish metal four-piece are not prepared to go quietly - Al Horner
starstarstarstarstarMabel: High Expectations review – confident pop lacks personality
On her undeniably hit-making debut, the daughter of Neneh Cherry sings ‘I’m not a people pleaser’ over backings intent on pleasing as many as possible - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarLloyd Cole: Guesswork review – a game of two halves
(Ear Music) - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarSchool of Language: 45 review – taking on Trump with twisted indie-funk
Field Music’s David Brewis delivers a suite of deep, satirical and vitriolic songs about the US president - Aimee Cliff
starstarstarstarstarKaiser Chiefs: Duck review – appealingly weird vaudeville ruffians
Their singer is a judge on The Voice UK and parochial indie culture is dead, but there are enough hooks here for them to get away with it - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarBurna Boy: African Giant review – classily smooth Nigerian pop
An effortless vocal and collaborators including Future and Jorja Smith make this an easy, slightly muted listen - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarBlood Orange: Angel’s Pulse review – immersive and delicate mixtape
(Domino) - Tara Joshi
starstarstarstarstarEd Sheeran: No 6: Collaborations Project review – a credibility-by-osmosis playlist
(Atlantic) - Michael Cragg
starstarstarstarstarBeyoncé: The Lion King: The Gift review – superstar shows impeccable taste
Her solo numbers are of varying quality, but Beyoncé gives a valuable platform to African artists in this collaborative Disney spinoff - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarIder: Emotional Education review – a hair's breadth from brilliance
Megan Markwick and Lily Somerville’s debut album is full of good melodies and millennial anxiety. It just needs the grain of sand that makes the pearl - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarSabaton: The Great War review – rage against the war machine
With pounding drums and demonic choirs, the Swedish power metal band deliver a dark, fascinating history lesson on the first world war - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarLaura Jurd: Stepping Back, Jumping in review – live-wire trumpeter's jumble of textures
Another stylistic reinvention from the esteemed trumpeter moves from strident minimalism to orchestrated chaos and fidgety folk - John Lewis
starstarstarstarstarRuders: The Thirteenth Child review – easygoing fairytale with a touch of evil
Poul Ruders’ new opera, based on a little-known Brothers Grimm story, veers between neoromanticism and something a little edgier - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarPalace: Life After review – indie trio find new force
(Fiction) - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarThom Yorke review – a bard for hard times
Thom Yorke brings a happy, dream-like dimension to his solo tour - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarBEA1991: Brand New Adult review – genre-surfing drifter ebbs and flows
Chamber folk and yacht rock meld with R&B in an elegant album that lacks focus but hints at true brilliance - Owen Myers
starstarstarstarstarBlood Orange: Angel's Pulse review – the stuff cult heroes are made of
Dev Hynes’ new mixtape contains a flood of musical influences – from shoegaze to dancehall and found sound – and is only occasionally self-indulgent - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarK Flay: Solutions review – reasons to be cheerful
(Night Street/Interscope) - Emily Mackay
starstarstarstarstarLighthouse Family: Blue Sky In Your Head review – old souls twinkle with melancholia
The duo’s first album for two decades adds a global scope to their old blueprint – and occasionally alights on euphoria - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarJesca Hoop: Stonechild review – a rocky path through tragedy and joy
The brooding singer has created a knotty and sometimes maddening fifth album that holds some poignant gems - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarThe Black Keys: “Let’s Rock” review – easy-listening return to basics
(Easy Eye Sound/Nonesuch) - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarMark Ronson review – sad songs for a vaguely broken heart
The super-producer draws on his divorce for a ‘break-up’ set, but never quite persuades us to share his pain - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarPrince: Originals review – delicious demos from the vaults
(Warner Bros/Tidal) - Emily Mackay
starstarstarstarstarOctavian: Endorphins review – straddles genres and the Thames
(Black Butter) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarThe Raconteurs: Help Us Stranger review – classic rock undone by aggro
Jack White’s eccentricity is well contained by his bandmates, but the macho politics undermine the tautness - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarMark Ronson: Late Night Feelings review – the tracks of his tears
Midas-touch producer’s divorce album moves from reggaeton to yacht pop with vocalists Yebba, Miley Cyrus and more – it’s oddly old-fashioned - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarBlack Midi: Schlagenheim review – the weirdest buzz band of the year
This hyped quartet of Brit School graduates deliver some powerful kicks between the clattering, self-satisfied rackets - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarThe Regrettes: How Do You Love? review – reliably explosive
(Warner) - Emily Mackay
starstarstarstarstarFeeder: Tallulah review – zeitgeist-avoiding alt-rockers fall flat
Grant Nicholas and Taka Hirose’s 10th album features unfashionable guitar anthems with MOR flourishes - Al Horner
starstarstarstarstarBon Iver: i,i review – his first ever misfire
Justin Vernon has been building Bon Iver into an artistic commune of shared ideals – but loses his way in a fog of weak melodies and bad poetry - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarKaiser Chiefs: Duck review – a solid offering for the faithful
(Polydor) - Emily Mackay
starstarstarstarstarViolent Femmes: Hotel Last Resort review – vigorously middling
The only way after the dire first track is up; splashing the punk folk ire around rock’n’roll and Americana - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarJaden: Erys review – dreamily creative but overwrought
(MSFTSMusic/Roc Nation) - Tara Joshi
starstarstarstarstarBanks: III review – a break from dark R&B doesn't quite pay off
Her third album is a less-than-convincing attempt to lighten the old experimentalism in favour of chart-friendly ballads - Aimee Cliff
starstarstarstarstarFreya Ridings: Freya Ridings review – dull ballads by Florence-alike flop
The minimalism of Ridings’ chilly piano balladry could have been bracingly different – if it wasn’t so dull - Laura Snapes
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